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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. firm — steady
  10. row — a line
  11. cue — a hint
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a path
  17. firm — a company
  18. track — to keep track
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com